


an iPod in the hand is worth two in the toilet tank

by Dresupi



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Darcy Lewis, Crack, F/M, Meet-Cute, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 11:42:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18387755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dresupi/pseuds/Dresupi
Summary: It’s odd to find an older generation iPod in the back of a toilet tank in a newly renovated building in Hell’s Kitchen, but Matt’s used to odd findings.





	an iPod in the hand is worth two in the toilet tank

**Author's Note:**

> _****_
> 
> _**Darcy Lewis April Fool’s Crack Challenge 2019** _
> 
> _Day 7: Strange iPod Locations_

He pushed up off the floor and walked towards the sound, using the sound waves to maneuver through the doorways and into what smelled and sounded like a brand new bathroom. The chorus had just started up, and even though his side ached in a way that made him fairly certain that last guy had bruised his rib cage, he smiled a little.

That song always seemed to result in similar reactions.

He found the source of the music in the back of a brand new toilet tank. An iPod laying alone under the cover, but it didn’t matter because the water hadn’t been turned back on in the building yet. Purple gummy earbuds were attached, through which the music pulsed, and from the feel of it, this model hadn’t been for sale since 2007 or so. Not that anyone really used iPods anymore. Everything was contained in the phones.

Frowning, Matt ran his fingers over the device,  _ ‘Africa _ ’ still drifting from the earbuds as he found an engraving on the back.

It took a couple of passes, there were scratches there as well, it felt like this thing had been through hell and back, but he was able to make out a name and a phone number.  Darcy Lewis. 555-333-9999.

It was odd that the thing had shown up in this toilet tank. Curious, even. He couldn’t sense anything else amiss. No semblance of any struggle. No violence, other than what he’d wrought. The owner didn’t feel close. In fact, there was no heartbeat discernible apart from his own. But the iPod was here. And it was playing. As far as he knew, there was no way to turn on these older models remotely. But he wasn’t as up to date on that particular company’s software patches either.

All Matt knew was that he would have heard it before if it had indeed been there when he arrived.

It was almost as if it had appeared out of nowhere.

He found the pause button and pocketed the device. He’d call the number tomorrow. There was a chance this Darcy Lewis was looking for it. Somehow.

 

* * *

 

Darcy Lewis sounded normal when she answered the phone. She even sounded surprised when he started to explain who he was.

“I’m Matt Murdock, I practice law down in Hell’s Kitchen…”

“Congrats,” she said, a hint of a smile there on her lips. He could barely hear it over the phone, but it was there. “Wait… I’m not being served, am I? Because that car was abandoned and I looked for an owner, but it was up on  _ cinder blocks _ and I’ll eat my own hoodie if you could even FIND the scratch I put on it.”

He chuckled. “No, no.  Nothing like that. I just… I found your iPod and called the number on the back…”

“Wait. What?” Darcy asked, sounding even more surprised than before. “You found  _ what _ ?”

“Your iPod…” he said slowly. “It’s an older model, but your name and this number were engraved on the back.”

She was silent for approximately five seconds, but when she continued, she asked something even stranger, if possible.

“Okay… this is going to sound weird, but  _ where _ did you find it?”

“In the back of a toilet tank in a recently renovated office building in Hell’s Kitchen.”

She softly swore under her breath. “Can I trouble you for the address?”

“Well, it’s not  _ still _ there…” he said slowly.

“Yeah, I know. I just… I’m curious?”

He paused for a moment before rattling off the address. She thanked him, and he could hear the scratch of a pen on a pad of paper as she scribbled it down.

“Was it stolen? I’m not sure you’d be able to find the people responsible. It appears to be still working, but--”

“No, no. It wasn’t stolen. I just. Didn’t know where it went.”

He frowned. It felt like she was only speaking at seventy-five percent. Like there was some other information that could clear things up, but she just wasn’t giving it. “Did you want it back?”

“Oh!  Yeah. Yeah, definitely.”

“I could meet you for lunch…”

“At Benicio’s in the Village,” she filled in for him. “It’s my treat, but if it’s okay, I’m bringing a friend. I’ve never met you. For all I know, you could be some kind of masked supervillain.”

He let out a chuckle again at the sheer irony of that statement. “That sounds fine. But I really don’t mind covering my own meal.”

“You found my iPod. Let me treat you.”

He couldn’t find a reason to argue with that. “... Okay.  I’ll meet you later today?”

“Around one. See you then!”

“Sounds perfect.”

Perfectly confounding. If anything, speaking with the owner of the device left him with more questions than it had answered any.

 

* * *

 

Matt arrived at the restaurant early, just to scope out the place. He sat at the bar and sipped a ginger ale, his ears trained towards the door to hear when Darcy arrived. He recognized her voice, as well as that of another woman, who he assumed, was her companion.

“I still don't get why you care. That iPod is ten years old. Older than that, even…” That was the other woman speaking. She obviously wasn’t in on whatever Darcy was cooking. That was interesting.

Darcy replied. “I told you… Jane and I are using it for experiments. Hell’s Kitchen’s the furthest it’s gotten. Usually, it ends up in Manhattan, or more often than not, in the same building, just somewhere else. This is  _ huge _ . Jane’s going to want to get the chip out. Get some readings.”

Matt frowned.  _ Hell’s Kitchen’s the furthest it’s gotten? _ What the hell did that mean? And there was a chip inside? He hadn’t sensed anything amiss in the object. It felt just like any other music player. Nothing was amiss. But apparently, it had a chip? Did that mean it had a tracker?

The other woman scoffed a little. “Just send something else.”

“We  _ might _ have done some things to it…” Darcy replied. “Jane wants it back.  Besides. SHIELD stole it from me. It feels good to get it back every time it leaves now.”

Matt’s interest was certainly heightened. He knew of SHIELD. And this woman did too. Plus, it sounded as if she and this Jane person were somehow transporting this device through space. It might deserve more than a second look.

He took one last sip of his ginger ale and waited for the duo to be seated before he made his way over from the bar, tapping his cane out in front of him as he approached the hostess’ station.

“I’m meeting a Darcy Lewis,” he said, flashing a smile at the hostess that he could tell she returned.

“Right this way, sir,” the hostess held out her arm and he placed his hand on it, tucking his cane under his other arm as she led him to a table with two others sitting at it.

“Here it is, sir.”

He could hear the surprise in Darcy’s voice when she addressed him. “Mr. Murdock?”  

Smiling widely, Matt dipped his head. “In the flesh. I’m happy we could meet.”

He heard her scramble to stand and move out of the way so he could make his way to his chair.

“I can tell you weren’t expecting me to be blind…” he said with a laugh, holding out his hand to Darcy.

She took it, enclosing it in her warm handshake. “No, no, it’s fine, I mean.  Of course, it’s fine. I didn’t mean… look, I’m glad to meet you too.” She was charming. He found his smile widening without any coaxing from himself.

“Don't worry, I get that a lot. People who don’t know me, they don’t expect it. But it’s completely okay. I have a routine worked out. I’ve been this way since childhood.”

Darcy’s companion hadn’t spoken, but he could tell she was seated across the table, so he held out his hand. Just off center enough to prove his point that he was blind and couldn’t see or sense where she actually was. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced?” he began.

He sensed a smirk as she took his outstretched hand. “I’m Natalie. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Murdock.”

“Matt, please,” he said, leaning his cane against the table and reaching into his pocket, pulling out the iPod and holding it out towards Darcy. “I believe this is yours.”

“Oh dude, thank you so much!” She took it and slid it into her purse, which went in her lap instead of hung over the arm of her chair. That much he noticed before she started talking again. “Can I ask if it was playing when you found it?”

“Yes… umm  ‘ _ Africa’ _ by Toto, actually,” he replied.

“Awesome, awesome. Good to know.” She seemed relatively pleased by the fact that is was playing, but he couldn’t discern the importance of it from her reaction alone.

The rest of the lunch was passed in pleasant conversation between himself and Darcy, while Natalie only said one or two words before the end of the meal.

He could tell Darcy’s friend was studying him. And he didn’t want to be a judgmental prick himself, but there was something off about Natalie as well. Something off about her like there was something off about him. Darcy had mentioned SHIELD in casual conversation before they’d been seated. Perhaps Natalie worked for the organization. In that case, she was likely reading him. Determining if he was a threat.

After the meal ended, he said his goodbyes and walked out of the restaurant, feeling like he probably shouldn’t stick around. He couldn’t be sure if Natalie had deemed him a threat or not.

 

* * *

 

He could sense another presence for the rest of the day. It wasn’t the same one she’d exuded at the restaurant, but it was definitely Darcy’s friend, Natalie.

Back at the office and even as he walked back to his apartment, he could feel eyes on him. He wasn’t even granted reprieve once he was safely inside.

He paused the second he closed the door.

“I know you’re here, I just don’t know where.”

“Bull,” was the cheeky response from Natalie. Her voice was slightly deeper than it had been at Benicio’s. Maybe not deeper, but definitely not as bright.

“You’re in my kitchen,” he replied, still walking over to the sofa.

“You need to tell her,” was all she said.

“I feel like there should be a preface to that statement. Such as who you really are, and how you ended up in my apartment.”

“Natasha Romanov,” was her quick response. Too quick to be a lie. Of course, he’d heard of her. The Black Widow. He hadn’t been expecting such a high-level operative to follow him home and start making cryptic demands of him, however.

“Why should the Black Widow deign to threaten me?”

She exhaled slowly, her gait heavy as she circled him. “You know damn well  _ who _ you are, and so do I. Do you prefer Mr. Devil, or does ‘the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen’ work better?”

He wasn’t surprised a superspy like Romanov would figure out who he was, but he was surprised by the brevity of his anonymity. She’d barely been tracking him.

She was walking around behind him, he tilted his head to get a better read on her. “Are we fighting?”

“No. I don’t want to aggravate that injury on your ribs.” Her tone was lighter. Like she was teasing him or something. “You should probably get that checked out. It’s more than a bruise.”

“I’ve had worse.”

“So have I. And I went and got it looked at. There’s nothing heroic about letting something fester, Mr. Murdock. I got a guy who sees to mine. He’s local. And he can keep a secret. He’s got a few of his own. Want his number?”

He frowned, shaking his head and making a note to head to see a doctor in the morning. “How did you guess who I was?” he asked.

“SHIELD has a file on you. I pulled it when Darcy said she was meeting you for lunch. So, don’t worry. You didn’t give anything away. She didn’t suspect anything.”

“You didn’t tell her?” he asked, surprised.

“No. Because I wasn’t sure if she’d ever see you again to make it relevant that she knows more about you. I will tell her if you see her again and  _ don’t _ , however.”

“And now?”

“Still not sure. But I know if that smile on your lips is in any part real and on her account, you should tell her. She’s not dumb. She’ll figure it out quicker than you’d realize, the more time she spends with you.”

He didn’t even realize he was smiling. It just happened. “I didn’t think she was dumb.”

“So you’re thinking of seeing her again?” she said quickly.

He exhaled. “Yes.”

“So tell her. She’ll understand. She works with a bunch of us.”

“So she and her boss actually sent that iPod through space?”

“Through a wormhole,” Natasha replied, her tone changing slightly. “I  _ knew _ you were listening at the bar.”

“Because you recognized me from my file?” he asked.

He sensed the air shift around her head as she shook it. “No. there wasn’t a picture. But I always check everyone in the room, and you seemed like you were scoping too.”

“So, is that why you broke in here? To tell me not to lie to your friend?”

Natasha was silent for a long moment. “I don’t care how you micromanage Hell’s Kitchen, I’ve got bigger fish to fry than you. I just don’t want her hurt. She’s special. Okay?”

Matt nodded. “Noted.”

 

* * *

 

There wasn’t really any thinking to do on the subject. He waited ten minutes after Natasha had left his apartment and pulled out his phone. He had her number saved.

“Call Darcy Lewis.”

She answered on the third ring.

“Hey… Matt? Is something--”

“Hey, Darcy. Do you want to go get dinner with me sometime?”

She smiled for a split second before she replied. “Absolutely.”

He’d messed everything up with his last few relationships. All because he was keeping things from them. He wouldn’t make that same mistake again.

**Author's Note:**

> This is likely leaning towards a Darcy/Matt/Natasha poly romance. Just slightly, though.


End file.
